The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
Wholesale electricity prices on the Texas power grid will be allowed to go twice as high as is currently possible, following a vote Thursday by the Texas Public Utility Commission. What this move means for Texans' electric bills is unclear. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-ElecticSub-CR03.jpg)
In West Texas, the dry desert air makes for bright stars. But light pollution remains a problem as fast-growing cities, plus a distaste for regulation, mean that light diffuses into the night sky. A few towns in West Texas and the Hill Country are trying to change that. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/BigBendAtNight.jpg)
After addressing concerns about security and preservation, the Texas Library and Archives Commission voted to allow Col. William Travis' famous 1836 letter to be displayed at the Alamo in February as part of a special exhibit. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Letters-alamo.png)
As the Formula One Grand Prix gears up for its Austin debut, the event has become an example of the promises and pitfalls of trying to organize a carbon-neutral sports event. In the case of F1, the real challenge comes off the track. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/f1-racers.jpg)
The Lower Colorado River Authority, the utility that controls the water in the Highland Lakes, has come under fire from Central Texans for a proposal to send water downstream to rice farmers, who were cut off earlier this year due to drought conditions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Rice-Farm.jpg)
The battle between the Sierra Club and Harold Simmons' Waste Control Specialists nuclear disposal site is intensifying as Andrews County joins the fray with a lawsuit against the environmental group. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Simmons-Waste.jpg)
Bryan Shaw, the TCEQ chairman, told an Austin conference he has already had two "productive" calls with Ron Curry, the new regional head of the Environmental Protection Agency. The two plan to meet within about a month, Shaw said. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/EPA-Curry.jpg)
A research team is studying how changes in land development and vegetation are affecting the ability of Texas coast wetlands to absorb carbon dioxide. An increase in mangrove population is raising new questions for the team. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/AM-Galveston-032-620x465Resized.jpg)
As Bevo arrives in Dallas ahead of Saturday's Red River Rivalry game, it's worth remembering that longhorn cattle might have gone extinct nearly a century ago but for the quick actions of some federal employees, who assembled a herd on an Oklahoma wildlife refuge. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Bevo-UT.jpg)
Things are starting to move on the water policy front, with Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and others saying water will be a focus of the upcoming session. Meanwhile, West Texas keeps getting drier. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/DroughtWalkers.jpg)
Oil production along the Gulf Coast has helped cut U.S. crude imports by 20 percent since 2005. But environmentalists say the increased production isn't without drawbacks, including strain on the state's rail, pipeline and highway systems. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Gulf-Refinery-Houston.jpg)
A Texas Senate committee heard sometimes emotional testimony Tuesday about smart-meter installations, as opponents of the installation argued that their rights had been violated and the meters carried health risks. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/841c514e31f7c7a70a6e4027d79df470/DO%20NOT%20USE%20Smart%20Meter%20Tea%202012)
Despite the recent deluge, the drought in West Texas is not over, and experts say the perennially dry region must plan carefully for the future. Pressure is also growing on the Legislature to address the problem next year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-Pipeline-037.jpg)
At the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival, University of Texas at Austin professor Danny Reible talked about the future of water with Rebecca Motal of the Lower Colorado River Authority, Andy Sansom of Texas State University, Amy Hardberger of the Environmental Defense Fund and state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTribFest12-830Raymond-1247.JPG)
A series of small earthquakes in the Dallas region has prompted another round of speculation about the link between seismic activity and oil and gas drilling in North Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/HydraulicFrackingPressureGage.jpg)
Most Texans are used to weather-related power outages, but they're probably not aware of the danger they pose to the state's massive petrochemical plants, which at times must send thousands of pounds of chemical vapors into the air. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Lightning-Power-Outages.jpg)
On Friday, a Beaumont county judge will rule on yet another case involving TransCanada, the company building the Keystone XL pipeline. Despite all the court action, some say recent eminent domain rulings still haven't clarified where private-property rights end. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TranscandaCourtCase.jpg)
Speaking to a cattle raisers' group on Tuesday, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus promised that water "will be at the center of the discussion." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/strauss-caucusmeeting.jpg)
Contrary to a recent alarming news report in Central Texas, there are no vampire bats in the state, or even the U.S. But according to one scientific model, climate change threatens to push populations of the blood-hungry creatures close to Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Bats-Sky.jpg)
We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Energy & Environment track, which includes panels on the future of water in Texas, the state's electricity woes and the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tracks_energy-art2012.png)